


Stay

by bookwars



Category: Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Best Friends, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gen, Prompt Fic, Sick Character, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:40:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26163547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookwars/pseuds/bookwars
Summary: Rafael has plans to take a leap of faith but, what happens when those plans are compromised?Prompt: Multiple Prompts: First, Imagine half of your OTP gets sick and the other half has to take care of them. Second, forehead kisses. Third, Person A almost faints causing Person B to be worried. Finally, two sentences: “Oh my love/my person, why didn’t you tell me you were sick?” and “Don’t worry I’ll take you.”
Relationships: Rafael Barba & Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr., Rafael Barba & Olivia Benson, Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson
Comments: 10
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

Rafael knew it was going to be a rough day so his personal coffee machine broke. His suspicions were confirmed when he arrived late to work; it seemed that everyone and their mother had sent him paperwork for him to fill out. His usual lunch partner, Liv, wasn’t available due to an ongoing case. This was something that sent him in a bad mood directed at everyone except for Carmen. It was days like this he was grateful for Carmen; she was able to help rein the chaos that surrounded the DA’s office. It was because of her, they were able to get out of work a little early. Neither wanted to admit to each other that they were rushing out the door in the hopes of an early weekend; they quickly said goodbye and went their separate ways.Seeing that it was raining out, he was grateful to see a bunch of cabs waiting outside. He got into one and rattled off the address for SVU’s office.

During the ride over, he began to think about his relationship with Liv. They were still friends but were toeing the line of something more. Their lunch or coffee “dates” were something that he looked forward to everyday. They also tried to have dinner once a week. One a month, he would go with them to the park. Still, it wasn’t enough some days. He wanted to be able to go home and be with them every night. He wanted to wake up with her next to him, and be able to kiss her. He hoped that she felt the same way. He had decided to ask her about her feelings and the future of their relationship over dinner tonight. If he remembered right, Noah was staying with Amanda tonight for a sleepover with Jessie. So, it would be a perfect time to ask her out to dinner. Plus, he hoped that it would mess up any bets that were happening though he suspected that a few people would say it's about time. Arriving at SVU’s floor, he saw that it was a little bit quieter than it usually was for a Friday afternoon. He saw Fin and Kat were the only ones there.

“Conselor, what are you doing here? I hope you don’t have anything bad news for us on the Grahan Case?” Fin asked.

“No, I just wanted to see if the Captain was in. I have a few things to go over and ask her about.”

“Sure, you do.” Kat mumbled under her breath. Both men chose to ignore that comment.

“ Unfortunately counselor, she isn’t back from her meeting with Dodds yet. You can wait for her out of her office.” Fin said motioning to the chairs right outside of her office. “Thank you, I will leave you to your paperwork.”

Taking a seat in one of the chairs outside of her office, he started to scroll through his phone. As time continued to pass, he also started to answer emails. Rollins and Carisi had also come back and started working on their paperwork as well. After another two hours, everyone started to worry about their friend. Usually meetings with Dodds never took this long. Those who knew her the longest of the group began to fear that it was another Lewis or Townhouse situation again. Rafael had finished all the work he could do on his phone that he was saving for the weekend. Now, he was just waiting on her. He was just about to text him when she came in with two people in handcuffs. The detectives of the group rushed over to relieve her from the two men. She quickly explained who they were, wanted fugitives, and how she had caught them. Rafael was only half paying attention to what she was saying. He was taking this time to take in her beauty and bad-assery. However, he did notice something else.

She was soaked from head to toe as if she had taken a dive into the Hudson. She had a slight shiver as well, paled skin, and bleary eyes. All of these symptoms made him worry. He would ask her in more detail but he knew that she would hate that. So, he would wait until later. Later kept being pushed back as the two men were processed. To an outsider, it would seem that Olivia was still on top of her game. However to those closest to her, it was easy to tell that she was getting sicker. In addition to the signs that Rafael noticed, others noticed that she was slower than she normally was. Shiver had grown a little more violent too. All wanted her to go home and get some rest but, they knew she wouldn’t do that. At the almost three hour mark, Fin sent a pleading look to Rafael, hoping the man would be able to get Liv to go home. Seeing that she was moving towards her office, he nodded to Fin and followed her into her office. He shut the door and closed the blinds. She was blowing her nose into a tissue, and leaning heavily against her desk. She gave him a small simile, though it seemed painful to do so.

“Rafael, what are you doing ?”

“Figured you didn’t want an audience for this conversation. I came in here to ask you to go home.” Liv looked at him as if he were insane and was about to tell him off when he held his hand up stopping her from continuing on.

“Liv, you are shaking and are looking pale. Everyone is worried about you. Heck, even Carisi knows something is off. Let me take you home. Please?”

“Rafael, I-” she began to say.

Rafael waited for her to continue but instead she had become even paler. He moved closer, growing more concerned about her illness. Her face suddenly turned ashed and her eyes rolled towards the back of her head. She began to fall forward. If Rafael hadn’t caught her, she would’ve collapsed to the floor. He eased her onto the sofa in her office. Seeing that she was able to sit up on her own, he knelled in front of her and took her head in his hands. Sitting down seemed to help her a little as the color returned to her face. However, on closer examination, he could see that she was sweating as if it took all of her concentration to stay awake.

“Liv, you with me?” he asked, hoping she would respond.

“Until we are 85.”

“Yes. Gave me quite a scare there. Now, when did you start feeling ill?”

“I may have woken up with a 100 degree fever this morning. Thought I could just ignore it. It was kinda the reason I couldn’t meet for lunch today; I didn't want to get you sick though that might be mute now” she said, not looking him in the eye.

“Oh Liv, why didn’t you tell me you were sick? I would’ve understood.”

“Cause I didn’t want to worry you.” she said sleepy.

“Will you let me take you home now?” She nodded her head slowly.

He helped her lay down on the couch, shed his jacket before placing it across her body, and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before leaving the room. He quickly checked with Fin to make sure that they got everything handled. Ordering an uber, he asked Carisi to run to his apartment and pick up his emergency weekend suitcase in his bedroom. He even promised him to go over a couple of cases with him since he was doing this. While he said that he didn’t have to do that, Rafael could tell that Carisi was happy as he promised him he would meet him at Liv’s place in an hour before sprinting out the door. Entering back into her office, Rafael saw that she was still asleep. He quickly went around the room and picked up her things. Getting a beep from his phone that the Uber was five minutes away, he turned towards her. He hated to wake her but she needed to be home to rest properly. Shaking her shoulder, she woke up but seemed confused as to where she was, even after a quick explanation. Rafael was able to get Liv to her feet though she still swayed a little. When they left her office, he was grateful that nobody was around except for Fin. Both men gave each other a grateful nod as the lawyer made his way across the room with Liv, and stepped into the elevator.

He was grateful for the Uber with weather like this; it was still pouring when they stepped outside. He quickly ushered her into the waiting car, knowing he couldn’t cover her that well even with his coat. Soon as she was put into the car, Liv fell asleep resting her head on the cold window. Rafael got in on the other side, and reminded the driver of the address. The Uber driver seemed to realize that Liv was sleeping and kept his mouth shut. As the car made its way down the busy street, Rafael began to think about his next couple of steps. He knew that Liv would need someone to take care of her at least for tonight. But, would she be okay with it? He looked over at her and saw how peaceful she looked, but still looked in slight pain. Not wanting her to hurt her neck, he pulled her closer, letting her head rest comfortably on his shoulder. She snuggled closer into his shoulder before seemingly becoming more relaxed. He moved a piece of hair behind her ear, a small smile creeping across his face. It was also this moment that he realized something else: he was in love with her. Oh sh- he thought before the car suddenly jolted.

The driver mouthed “ I’m sorry.”

“It's okay,” Rafael mouthed back before making sure that Liv was still asleep. Surprising, she still was and hadn’t even moved. Relieved that she was still asleep, Rafel pulled out his phone and ordered various things that could keep her temperature down. Before he realized it, they had arrived at her place. Gently, he moved Liv off his shoulder and made sure that she was upright. He slipped the driver a tip before running to the other side of the car. He opened a car door and gently touched her shoulder.

“Hey, Liv. We are here.” he quietly added. She woke up instantly.

“Wow, already. You got magic powers I don’t know about, Rafael?” she said stepping out of the car of her own accord. He thanked the driver before running after her. The casual observer, Liv looked great. To Rafael, she looked ready to topple over. Making sure that she didn’t fall, he stayed her right even as they entered her apartment building. Neither said anything as they rode together in the elevator. They continued in silence when they stepped off the elevator heading towards her apartment. However, their usual fast paced walk was slower than it normally was. Rafael was tempted to slip an arm around her waist but didn't want to overwhelm her.

“Home sweet home.” Liv said when they entered her apartment. Rafael helped her take off his coat that was on her shoulders. Both took off their shoes; Liv headed towards her bedroom, with Rafael again close behind her. Seeing that he was still following her, she turned around abruptly. Which wasn’t the best idea because it caused her dizziness to repeat. Rafael started to go towards her but she helped up her hand causing him to stop in his tracks.

“Rafael, I’m not some fragile doll. You don’t have to wait on me. I am just going to get out of these wet clothes.” she said, trying to keep her temper down.

“I know that, it's just I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“You can go home. I got this.”

“No, as your friend, I really can’t do that. Not when you can barely stand on your feet.”

“Rafael, I can take care of myself.” she said before heading back towards her bedroom. Unfortunately, the sudden movement caused her to lose her balance again. Rafael managed to get in front of her and caught her again. They stood there for a few seconds before he helped right her so she was leaning onto his left side. He also put his left arm around her waist tentatively, waiting for her to say no. When she didn’t, he kept it there.

“You sure about that?” Rafael said with a hidden smirk.

“I will be, once the room stops spinning”

“Liv, please tell me if this is too uncomfortable for you.”

“Rafael, what-”

Rafael put his right arm behind her knees and proceeded to hold her in a bridal carry. Liv didn’t say a thing; she did put her arms around his shoulders. He carried her to her bedroom as carefully as he could, trying not to jostle her. His heart pounded against his chest: this was a new level of intimacy for them. He was also grateful for his new exercise routine. Otherwise, he feared he would drop her by accident onto the floor. Anyway, they entered the bedroom. The room wasn’t spotless; there were a couple of t-shirts on a chair and the bed wasn’t made. Rafael could hear Liv groan as they started to make their way to the bed.

“Didn’t think guests would be over otherwise, I would’ve cleaned.”

“I am not judging, but only because you are sick. Otherwise, I’d tell you the importance of closets and hangers.” Liv snorted as Rafael placed her on the bed over the covers. He started to look around the room for clothes to change into. But, he didn’t want to just start rummaging through her drawers. He turned towards her to ask where when it seemed she read his mind.

“My clothes are in the middle drawer.”

He mumbled a quick thanks. He quickly grabbed the top t-shirt and shorts that were on the top. He turned around to face her. In the bedroom light, he got a better look at her. Her skin was covered in sweet and the rain. Otherwise, she still looked her beautiful self to him. Not to be caught looking at her, he quickly put the clothes on the bed. “I’ll just be in the other room.” he said, starting to make his way to the door.

“Rafael”

“Yes?” He stopped in his tracks and looked at her.

“Thank you. I know that I am not the best person to deal with sometimes.”

“Its not a problem, I know you do the same for me.”

“Still, thank you.”

“Your welcome.” It was at this moment that neither knew what to say to each other. Rafael almost wanted to have a conversation about their relationship but decided against it because she was sick. She also looked like she wanted to say more. The doorbell rang providing a break in the tension between the two of them.

“I’ll be right back.” he said before exiting the room. He quickly ran over to the door to see who it was. Seeing that it was Carisi, he quickly opened the door and let the younger detective in. Carisi had Rafael duffel bags in one hand and another bag in the other other.

“Hey, thank you for this.” Rafael said, taking the bags from him.

“It was really no problem. I made sure to lock up your place after I left.” Seeing that Carisi had also brought over takeout, Rafael went for his wallet to pay the younger detective. Seeing this, Carisi motioned to stop and said: “Just take care of her counselor. See you Monday.”

“See you then, Carisi.” Rafael said as Carisi headed to the door. He quickly put away the supplies before heading back to the bedroom. When he entered, he panicked by seeing that she wasn’t there. Before panicking , he heard her in the bathroom. He walked carefully and pushed open the door. In the bathroom, Liv’s face was in the toilet as she threw up. Rafael felt bad for her but couldn’t help but make a remark.

“Well, that doesn't look like fun.”

Liv gave him a shaky middle finger as she continued to throw up. He went over to the sink and got a wet washcloth to put on the back on her neck. He gently started to rub her back as well. After a few minutes, she leaned back into his chest. They stayed there on the cold tile for a couple minutes. Liv looked at Rafael and said a sentence that would change their relationship for the rest of their lives.

“I’d kiss you but I don’t want you to get sick.”

“Gosh dang it. I wanted to make the first move.” he said knowing it would break the tensions between the two.

Liv laughed before saying before “Too bad. Now can you help me up and into bed. I want to do nothing but sleep for the century.” Rafael did what she asked. Again carrying her to her bed, he placed her gently on the bed before turning to leave. A hand grabbed his wrist gently. He turned back to Liv.

“Stay, please.”

“Of course.” He slipped under the covers and gathered her in his arms. He placed a light kiss to her forehead. Not long after she fell asleep, Rafael fell asleep as well.


	2. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Morning After

The next morning, Rafael woke up first. It took him a moment to realize where he was and why he was still in his clothes from the previous day. A soft snoring reminded him where he was and why. He turned his head towards the noise, and saw that Liv was sleeping peacefully. Her fever seemed to break during the night, which made Rafael happy. He took this time to just look at her and enjoy this moment of quiet. He still couldn’t believe that he was lucky enough to have this moment. However, he did realize that were other things he had to do before she woke up. He slipped out of bed as quickly as possible, and headed out of the room.

Liv woke up a short time later to smell bacon and pancakes. Seeing that the bed was empty except for her, she slowly got up. Using the restroom first, she then made her way to the kitchen to investigate the smell. Rafael making breakfast was a sight that she could get used to, she thought; he was in his element, moving around the kitchen as he owned the place while also singing along to _Alive_ from Next to Normal. He seemed so happy that she didn’t want to disturb him.

“Well, I see that you have made yourself at home.” Liv said leaning against the bedroom door.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” he said, turning off the music and walking over to her. He pulled her into a light embrace, while she put her arms around his shoulders.

“Better, thanks for taking care of me and making me breakfast.”

“It was nothing, I liked doing it. You’ll probably have to do it for me at some point.” he said before giving her a light kiss.

“Probably, and you will probably be the exact same way.”

“Oh, for sure. Though heads up, I might not be the best person.”

“I figured but I got it though.”

They stayed in each other's arms for several moments. Both were happy in this bubble, but knew that they would have to talk about a few things before they could go public. That could wait though, right now in this moment, it was just them. Remembering the breakfast, he led her to the dining room table before returning to the kitchen to grab the food. He came back quickly and placed the food in front of her along with placing some on his plate. They both ate their food quickly while also talking about various elements of their lives ranging from work to Noah. They decided to make tonight a movie night with Noah, just the three of them at Liv’s apartment.

“ He will be excited to see you.” Liv said, as Rafeal cleared their plates and placed them in the dishwasher.

“Wonderful, then would it be okay if I took you out to one of my favorite restaurants next weekend?” he said while also getting coffee for both of them.

“I think that could be arranged.” she said, taking the coffee from his hands. Both raised their mugs together.

“To the first step to our future.” Liv said.

“To us.” They clinked their mugs together, ready for their future together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, thank you to everyone who read, gave kudos and comments, or saved this fic. I am blown away by the support. Thank you Sickamy for chapter two. Thanks for reading! :)

**Author's Note:**

> I like to pretend that a certain character never left the show, and can see him with two people. Thanks for reading ! :)


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